Refrigerating apparatus



July 26, 1949. w. GIFFARD 2,477,055

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 14, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 If JO 3% J0 INVENTOR. $3 .6 I 3 WHITNEY G/Fmea Arrow/[Y July 26, 1949. w. GIFFARD REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 14, 1947 INVENTOR. WM rA/[r G/F/WED BY C.

Patented July 26, 1

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Whitney Giifard, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Maryland Application May 14, 1947, Serial No. 748,061

.6 Claims. (01.62-89) This invention relates generally to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to a refrigerator cabinet therefor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved refrigerator cabinet construction with respect to facilitating the installation of a breaker strip between the cabinet inner liner and outer casing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement and construction of a cabinet outer casing, inner liner and connecting trim or breaker strip around the doorway of a refrigerator cabinet compartment.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement between a cabinet breaker strip and a thermostat.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a. preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view partly broken away of a refrigerator embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical cross sectional view of the refrigerator cabinet, taken along the horizontal sectional along the line 3-3 horizontal sectional along the line 4--4 Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cabinet, taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 1; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cabinet similar to Figure 2; and

Fig. 10 is a detailed sectional view, taken along the line lfl-lll of Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the numeral l designates generally a refrigerator cabinet. The cabinet It comprises an outer metal casing I2 and a metal liner l4. Between the outer casing l2 and the liner I4, heat insulation I6 is provided which may be of any suitable type. At the front of the cabinet, within the outer casing l2, a frame I is preferably provided and welded to the front of the casing to reinforce the same. The'metal liner l4 forms a food storage compartment [8 having an access door opening in the front of the cabinet, closed by a door 23 which may be hinged to one side wall of the cabinet proper. At the front of the cabinet, around the door opening of compartment I8, I provide breaker strips comprising, an upper strip 22, a lower strip 24 and side strips 26. These strips 22, 24 and 26 are angle members of low heat conductivity preferably plastic which cooperate to cover terminal edges of the outer casing and the inner liner to form a continuous breaker strip arrangement at the door opening so as to give a finished appearance to the cabinet front without the conduction of but very little heat from the outer casing to the inner liner. At spaced intervals around the access door opening, the outer casing l2 and the food storage compartment liner l4 are attached together by tie members 25 (see Fig. 8) These tie members 25 are made of a suitably low heat conductive material, such as a phenolic plastic to avoid heat transfer from the casing to the liner. One end of each of the tie members 25 is attached preferably by a screw 2! to the cabinet frame l5 and the other end of each of the tie members 25 is secured by a screw 29 to the liner l4.

The outer casing I2 is formed with a breaker strip receiving portion, preferably a retaining channel or pocket 28. The retaining channel 28 extends entirely around the door opening along the front of the cabinet, outwardly of the forward edge of the liner l4. This trim or breaker strip retaining channel 28 may be provided by bending the casing at the front of the cabinet back onto itself to form the outer flange, as at 30, of the channel and then bending the easing end portion, as at 32, inwardly in spaced relation to flange 30 to provide the inner flange of the channel. The inner channel flange 32 may be welded or be otherwise suitably secured to the into the retaining channels to aid in holding the trim strips in place. Each of the trim strips 22, 24 and 26 has an inner marginal side portion or leg 4|! extending at an angle to leg 25 which II which gives a flared opening eifect to the as shown in Figure 2., e thermostat t! is contained in' a casing ll-from one end of which food storage compartment II. The strips 22, 24, and 28 are made wholly of low heat conductive material, preferably a phenolic plastic to prevent transfer of heat by conduction from the cabinet casing i2 to the inner liner II.

The strips 22, 24 and 26 areheld in place by spring fasteners 44 carried thereby, engaging in holding relationship with the metal liner it.

Each of the strips 22, and 26 carries a plurality of the spring fasteners 44, spaced-longb tudinally thereof. The spring fasteners 44 are made of spring metal each comprising, a pair of oppositely disposed spring fingers and a second pair of oppositely disposed spring fingers ll.

extends an adjustment shaft 86 to which the knob" is secured. Secured to the outer end of I the thermostat casing 04 is a pair of laterally spaced. oppositely disposed U-brackets II which are attached respectively to a pair. of lugs or ears ll of the finish strip 22, preferably by screws ll.

These breaker strip ears i8 are diametrically ar-- ranged .with respect to i the' circular opening 52 in the strip and are located rearwardy thereof.

The thermostat casing 64 is of general rectangular shape in cross section but maybe pulled out of the'casing through the finish strip circular opening 59 for the purpose of making adjustments thereto or for the purpose of replacement; This eliminates need of removing the breaker strip 22 before access may be had to the thermostat. After removing the screws 10, the thermo-' stat is turned substantially through 90 in which position it will clear the trim strip ears I and may then be withdrawn'through thetrim'strip These pairs of spring fingers are preferably disposed at right angles toeach other, the fingers tapering inwardly toward one end of the fasteners where they join together. At the other end or base of the fastener ll, the spring fingers 46 each have an outturned foot 50 having outwardly directed points 52 to dig into the plastic finish strips 22, 24 and 26 to hold thevfasteners thereto. At spaced intervals. the breaker strips 22, 24 and 26 are each provided on the rear side thereof with longitudinally spaced clip retainers it which are formed integral with the strips. These retainers 54' arexarranged in pairs each forming a T-slot 55 toreceive the feet SI ofia fastener, the T-slot extending widthwise of the legs 40 of the strips. To assemble a strip and its fasteners 44, thefastener fingers 46 arepressed together to allow entrance of their pointed feet 50 into the T-slot and the fastener is moved along the T-slot until the fastener feet engage the inner ends 51 thereof, as, a stop. The spring fingers l6 are then released allowing them to,

spring apart and in so doing thrust their pointed feet into the slot forming retainers it, thus holding the fasteners against movement in the T-slot. Theother pair of spring fingers of a each fastener have free ends terminating adjacent the baseof the fastener or adjacent the fasteners feet SI. End portions 58 of the-spring fingers 46 are bent so that they taper in the reverse direction from the tapering fingers II or so that the bent portions 50 taper inwardly from their bends toward each other and toward the fasteners base. These fasteners 44 are pressed through apertures in the liner it, the fastener bent portions 58 springing outwardly in the aper-.

tures against the inner side of the liner to hold the breaker strips in place by a yieldable wedg circular opening 59. as illustrated in Figure 10. I

The'cabinet door 2| may comprise an'outer, metal door easing H andan inner door panel 12. Preferably the inner door panel 12 is made of a low heat conductive material such as phenolic plastic. Carried by the door is a rubber gasket cured together by screws vl8.

projects forwardly of the other casing-channel 28..

In some instances it has been found desirable to have the bead widerat-spaced intervals than to have it all the same width. This arrangement leg of the angle strip. In addition, I have provided ears on the upper, cross breaker strip for The thermostat 2 is carprovides for contact between the bead 2 with member 32 only at the spaced intervals where the head is wider than therebetween. By this arrangement it has-been found that thebreaker strips are more snugly held in place throughout their lengths. a .From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that I have provided an improved cabinet constructionincluding breaker strips or trim at the entrance of the cabinet food storage compartment., It will further be appreciated that I have provided angle section breaker strips or trim made wholly of -a low heat conductive plastic which may be readily pressed and held in place by spring, fasteners carried by an inner the attachment thereto ofa thermostat carried by the breaker strimthe th .rmostat and breaker strip ears being so arranged that the thermostat may be withdrawn from thecabinet without first removing the breaker strip.-

Although'only a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated, and that form described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be 'made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope 'of the appended claims.

I claim: a j I 1. In refrigerating apparatus, an outer cabinet casing, an inner linerforming a food storage compartment, a door opening in a wall of the cabinet giving access toithe food storage compartment, a trim stripofv low heat conductivity having one side edge portion engaging said liner at the door opening andhaving an opposite side edge portion engaging said casing, said trim strip having an opening therethrough and having a pair of diametrically opposite ears extending into said opening, a thermostat attached to said ears inwardly of said trim strip and being removable through said opening.

2. In refrigerating apparatus, a cabinet casing, a liner within said casing forming a compartment, said casing and said liner having spaced apart edge portions adjacent an access opening into said compartment, a heat breaker strip spanning the edges of said casing and liner, and a co*trol between said casing and said liner carried by said heat breaker strip.

3. In refrigerating apparatus, a cabinet casing, a liner within said casing forming a compartment, said casing and said liner having spaced apart edge portions adjacent an access opening into said compartment, a heat breaker strip spanning the edges of said casing and liner, and a thermostat between said casing and said liner carried solely by said heat breaker strip.

4. In refrigerating apparatus, a cabinet casing having a top wall, a liner within said casing having a top wall spaced from the adjacent said 25 casing top wall, said liner forming a compartment and said casing and liner having spaced apart edge portions around an access opening for said compartment, a heat breaker strip spanning the edge portions of said casing and liner, a ther- 30 2,1 9,419

5. In refrigerating apparatus, a cabinet casing, 35 2,426,055

0 said opening.

a liner within said casing forming a compartment, said casing and said liner having spaced apart edges adjacent a door opening into said compartment, a heat breaker strip spanning the spaced apart edges of said casing and liner having a thermostat receiving opening, a support carried by said heat breaker strip extending into said opening, and a thermostat carried by said support between said casing and said liner.

6. In refrigerating apparatus, a cabinet casing, a liner within said casing forming a compartment to be cooled by a cooling element, said casing and liner having spaced apart edge portions around an access opening to said compartment, a heat breaker strip spanning said spaced apart edges of said casing and liner having a thermostat receiving opening therein, ears carried by said heat breaker strip extending into said opening, and a thermostat attached to said ears inwardly of said heat breaker strip and being removable through WHITNEY GIFFARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Hofierberth et a1. Aug. 15, 1939 2,294,686 Newman Sept. 1, 1942 2,301,020 Dailey Nov. 3, 1942 2,349,419 Goulooze May 23, 1944 2,375,880 Yoxsimer May 15, 1945 Rundell Aug. 19, 1947 

